Loop cutting attachment for rib-knitting machines



Feb. 27, 1951 J. N. GILBREATH 2,543,574

LOOP CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR RIBKNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1949 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

A /3 b I l [-3 6 &\\\ E 8-/ a g 7- Q III 23 V n I Inventor John N. Gi/brealh Feb. 27,, 1951 J. N. GILB'REATH 2,543,574

. LOOP CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR RIB-KNITTING MACHINES 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor John N.- Gi/breafh Patented Feb. 27, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE $43,574 moeeeiiineimgeiliit ifi its RIB-KNITTING MACHINES 3 01111 it. Gabi-earn, Summerville; Ga. Application December 5, 1949, serial he. 1-3126'4 t chime. (01. 63:14?)

This invention relates to animproved autoinane loop cutting attachment for circular rib: knitting machines, and has particular reference to improvements in the type of loop cutting attachment disclosed in my; U. 8. Patent No. 2,l li,2 59, dat-edNovember l9, l946. 7

While the attachment disclosed in my above mentioned patent is suitable for machines wherein rotation of the needle dial is prevented by means associated with the upper end of the dial post, it is not capable of use with machines in which rotation of the dial is prevented by dogs on the inside of the needle cylinder and the under side of the dial. V

lhis is true because the dogs are so located as to interfere with positioning of the guard member and loop selecting needle of the attachment within the needle cylinder as shown in said patent.

The primary object of the present invention. therefore, is to provide an attachment of the above type which may be employed on any ribknitting machine. I accomplish this object by extending the dial post to a'point below the needle cylinder, and mounting the loop-engaging and cutting device on" the lower portion of the dial post extension.

A further objectis to provide an attachment of the above kind including a disk secured on the dial post extension" and adapted to radially expand the tubular fabric as it is drawn downwardly from the needle cylinder, and a loopengaging and cutting device carried by said fabric-expanding disk and arranged to automatically engage or select the similar end loops of the special removable courses unite successive separable lengths of the tubular fabric, as said courses move downwardly frohisai'd disk:

A still further object is to provide an attachment of the above kind which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation.

lhe exact nature of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered with the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic View, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, showing a portion of a knitting machine equipped with a loop cutting attachment embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the attachment,

partly in vertical section and partly in elevation.

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views taken respectively on the line 3-3 and on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a Hbttbi'fi plan View Of the attachmentshown in Figure 2. l

v Rferrii'lgii'i detail to tH drawings, 5 indicates part or ,lih fix bed plate for a khitti rig ifiacliin, to is 'secur a; needle cylinder 6; Mounted fol free i'b't'at n an the bed platfi is a bevel gear a 1 e1 Land in ntd upon the wheel 1 is a cylinder r ng 8 which s provided with the usual earns for imparting vertical reciprocating movement to the needles a of the needle cylinder. I The meme dial 9,111 which are guidedthe horizontal dial needles 5, is secured on the lower end portion of a vertical post It]. The dial 9 is held against movement relativ to. the needle cylind r by'do'gs g l and :2 respectively carried y the needle cym'i er and the dial. Above the dial a is located the dial barn ring i3 is provided on its under side with the risen for imparting horizontal 4 reeipiocati'rig movement to thediai needles 2), said dial cam ring he 1g caused to rotate in unison with the c uinder ring by any suitable eans. I In accordance with' the' present invention, the dial post is provided at its lower end with anextension l fiwhich projects below the needle cylinder and the bed pla e, and which preferably consists of a shaft sec on having a reduced andthreaded upper em gar en, qr stem :5 screwed into a threaded socket provided iii the lower end of the dial post. Secured on the extension is near the Iai'clli... ...-'l a. H h... l..- i. l

a f abr expanding disk over and down- K rely beyond which is drawn the ribbed tubular fabric F produced on the machine, and means of which" said fabric is: expanded radially. Se; cured a th'j'disk u, asb'yiiieans er a setsaew (a, is an inclined gears pin [9 which projectsidewnv 1; and outwa'ifdly toa point slightly below and outwardly or the periphery of disk 11.

A substantially U-shaped loop-engaging or selecting needle or finger 2!! is attached at one end to the disk I! at one side of extension it, as by means of a set screw 2|, and this needle or finger extends downwardly from said disk under the lower end of said extension and has a free end portion which extends upwardly at the opposite side of said extension to a point directly under and slightly spaced from lower free end of the guard pin H). A loop-cutting blade 22 is fixed to the inside of the free end portion of needle or finger 28 adjacent the bight portion of the latter, and this blade extends under the lower end of extension I 4.

The fabric F consists of separable lengths or sections 23 united by special removable courses, as at 24, each section being knitted with a finishing course at one end formed of selvage loops, and the removable or pull-out courses interengaging an end regular rib-loop course of one section and a selvage-loop course of the next section. Cor responding end loops of the respective special section-uniting courses are cut to free and thereby permit the latter to be pulled out or removed to separate the sections. As the knitted fabric passes the disk I! in expanded condition, the regular rib-loop courses are held outwardly beyond the free end of the needle 26 by the guard pin [9, but the end loops of the special section-uniting courses pass inwardly between the adjacent ends of pin l9 and needle 28 so as to be engaged or selected by the latter. These engaged or selected loops pass downwardly on the needle or finger until they engage and are severed by the blade 22, thereby freeing the section-uniting courses so that they may be removed or pulled out to separate the fabric sections. As is well known, the fabric sections are employed as hose tops, cuffs, or the like.

In practice, the present attachment has proven highly eflicient for the intended purpose, and it may be readily and cheaply manufactured, as well as readily applied to all types of circular ribknitting machines. Modifications and changes in details of construction are contemplated within the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a knitting machine having mechanism for producing a succession of tubular fabric sections united by special removable courses and including a needle cylinder, and a dial post having an extension dependin below the needle cylinder, loop-engaging and severing means including a fabric-expanding disk secured on the dial post extension, a depending guard pin carried by and extending outwardly beyond the periphery of said disk, a depending finger fixed at one end to said disk and having an upwardly extending end portion terminating under the lower end of said guard pin for receiving corresponding end loops of the removable courses, and a blade fixed to the inner side of said upwardly extending end portion of the finger for severing said end loops so as to permit removal of said removable courses for separation of the fabric sections.

2. In a knitting machine having mechanism for producing a succession of tubular fabric sections united by special removable courses and including a needle cylinder, and a dial post, a loop-cutting attachment including an extension attached to the lower end of said dial post and depending below the needle cylinder, a loopselecting finger mounted on the lower portion of said extension and having an upwardly extending end portion for receiving corresponding end loops of the removable courses, a guard member mounted on said extension and having a lower end disposed over the free end of said upwardly extendin end portion of the finger, and a blade fixed to said upwardly extending end portion of the finger for severing said end loops.

3. In a knitting machine having mechanism for producing a succession of tubular fabric sections united by special removable courses and including a needle cylinder, and a dial post having an extension depending below the needle cylinder, loop-engaging and severing means including a fabric-expanding disk secured on the dial post extension, a depending guard pin carried by and extending outwardly beyond the periphery of said disk, a depending substantially U-shaped finger fixed at one end to said disk and having an upwardly extending end portion terminating under the lower end of said guard pin for receiving corresponding end loops of the removable courses, and a blade fixed to the inner side of said upwardly extending end portion of the finger for severing said end loops so as to permit removal of said removable courses for separation of the fabric sections, said blade extending under the lower end of the dial post extension.

4. In a knitting machine having mechanism for producing a succession of tubular fabric sections united by removable courses having corresponding end loops, and including a dial post, a loop cutting attachment including an extension attached to the lower end of said dial post, an end loop selecting finger and a guard for said finger mounted on said extension, and a loop severing blade fixed to said finger.

5. In a knitting machine having mechanism for producing a succession of tubular fabric sections united by removable courses having corresponding end loops, and including a dial post, a loop cutting attachment includin an extension attached to the lower end of said dial post, an end loop selecting finger and a guard for said finger, a loop severing blade fixed to said finger, and a fabric expanding disk secured on said extension and comprising the mounting for said finger and said guard.

JOHN N. GILBREATH.

I REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,411,259 Gilbreath Nov. 19, 1946 

